UFA, July 10. /TASS/. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is at the beginning of the next stage of its development - "the further growth of its influence and prestige on the international scene," Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev told the expanded session of the SCO Heads of State Council on Friday.
He noted that "during this turbulent and important period for the international community the SCO was experiencing a severe endurance and viability test." The Kazakh president voiced confidence that the summit in Ufa would be a milestone event in dealing with unprecedented challenges and threats of our time.
Nazarbayev added that Kazakhstan fully supported "the decision to launch the process of the acquisition of the status of the SCO member status by India and Pakistan." These countries’ international standing, experience and economic potential are "a big boost for our organization’s prospects for the future," he said.
According to Kazakhstan’s president, the signing of the SCO Development Strategy until 2025 on Friday is "a clear evidence of the evolution and the qualitative development of our platform." Nazarbayev added that the document was designed "to become the backbone of the Shanghai process within the next 10 years."
"In light of the events and processes taking place in the world, the SCO must remain a guarantor of stability, security and prosperity in the region. This is, without exaggeration, a historic step, and our duty is to show the world the unity and sustainability of the Shanghai spirit," Nazarbayev said.